A blog by Andie Gilmour about two Brits & four cats moving to Berlin and living at the heart of Europe. With advice on surviving in Germany, and where to visit and especially photograph. Plus occasional blogs about music, food, and films.

Friday, 31 October 2014

The Gnomes of Wrocław

The Polish town of Wrocław (pronounced Vrrrots-waff - formerly called Breslau when it was part of German Prussia) is surprisingly cheap to get to from Berlin, provided you like bus-travel and are prepared to invest the travel time (about four to five hours). Deutsch-Bahn have a Eurocity Bus that leaves twice a day (at 09:41 and 12:44) from outside the Hauptbahnhof for example, and that is one that we took for a three-day overstay in this ancient and fascinating town.

What is there to see in Wrocław to make your visit worthwhile? Apart from the magnificent market square and town hall, the rows of brightly-decorated houses in various architectural styles, the awesome cathedrals and churches, and the great restaurants and night-life, Wrocław has something that no other city has - gnomes! Over three hundred of them, spread all over the city centre. Find all about them here, or here for a guide to where they all are, or just wander around and see how many you can spot. It is actually quite difficult, as they are very small (of course!) and not always at street level. When you spot them though, you wonder how you ever missed them.

Going gnome-hunting is a great way to explore a city; you concentrate more on really looking at the streets and buildings around you, rather than rushing off to the next touristy must-see spot. I hope that they decide to emigrate some day, and colonise other cities, as they are great fun and really cute!